Apparatus for pulverizing phosphate-rock



. w. M. SMITH.;

APPARATUS FOR PULVBRIZING- PHOSPHATE ROCK, 6nd.

Patented July 2e, '1881.

-ril- Ils:

Invanlr N. PErEHs. Phmmumngnpher. Wmhinm. D. C.

y UNI-TED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMv MSMITH, or AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.;

APPARATusgt-'oa PuLvERlzING PHosPHATE-ROCK, sbc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,829, dated July 26, 1881.

Application filed November 6,'1880. (No model.) Y

To all whom it may concern: l

Be itknown that I, WLLIAM M. SMIT-H, of August-a, in the county of Richmond and State ot' Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for PulverizingPhosphate-Rock,&c of which the following is a'speciication. Y

My invention relates 'to lnachines in which posphate-rock and other substances are reduced to -a tine powder by means of beaters or serrated wheels revolving in opposite directions within a casing.` A

Heretofore the abr'ading-wheels of such ma# chines have generally been placed in pairs, either with the circular rim 'or flange of one of the wheels overlapping, or they have been left unprovided with ange and the casing depended upon as an abrading-surface, and also to retain the crushed material until entirely pulverized. Abrading-wheels have also been made saucer-shaped and placed in pairs with. their rims nearly touching.

Theobject of my invention `is to provide a machine inwhich a great amount of the pulverizing will be accomplished by a portion of the material projected forcibly against the other by means ot' wheels provided with wings or blades placed at an angle to their axis, as

found in ordinary propeller wheels, these wheels or blades having-also a series of ribs extending from the `hub to the rim'in consecutive curves nearlyresembling volute curves.

The object ot' thev invention is also to provide means for retaining and collecting the Vimpalpable dust'produced by said machine.

The inventionwill first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In vthe drawings, Figure l represents a vertical transverse section of the machine; Fig. 2, a vertical central section on line w w of Fig. l; Fig.'3,' a vertical section on line y y of Fig. l; Fig.4, a perspective view ot' one of the semi- .circular central rims detached from the machine; Fig: 5, a perspective view of one of the wheels used to project the material upon the other. K In said drawings, lAfrepresents the casing. It may be made of wood lined with ribbed plates, or of metal in sections. This casing is stationary, and is secured to a proper foundawheels. The number of these wheels may vary. I prefer to use two of them, as shown.

The wheel C is formed of a disk provided with a rimc, extending over each of its sides, and a series of ribs, c', on both of its faces, extending from the hub to the rim in curves nearly resembling volute curves, one ot' theobjects of said curved ribs being to collect and direct themain portions of the material operated upon toward the hub and against its centrifugal tendency, and the rim is to retain the material within the space between the two wheels, or between one ot' the wheels and the casing. The hub c2 of the wheel is hollow, to admit a current of air and bring it within the casin g ofthe machine at the best place foi-its even distribution. The hub or shaft c2 is provided with a coupling-flange, c3, which is bolted to a similar coupling-flange, c4, on the shaft c5 `of the pulley c6. The bolts uniting the flanges c3 c4 have washers to keep these anges apart `and form a passage for a current of air to be admitted or forced through the hub c2 and keep it cool.

ThewheelD is made with two or more wings, D', set at an angle to its axis, and nearly simiprovided with a series ot' curved ribs, d', extending from the hub d? to the lim d. The latter, overlapping the edges of the wings or blades D', has also upon its circumference four or more strippers, d3, to keep any ore or phosphate-rock entering the casing from clogging the rotating wheel or wheels. The bladesD l are of 'such size as to leave an opening between them, so that the material fed into the hopper E will pass through said openings and be projected by the inclined blades against the wheel O, turning in the opposite direction, and bounced back and fort-h until reduced to an impalpable powder. The hub or shaft d2 is hollow, but closed at its inner end. Its outer end has a couplingange, d3, which is bolted to a similar coupling-flan ge, d4, on the shaft d5 of the pulley d6. The coupling-flanges d3 d4 are inclosed by a looselyitting casing, f, into which water is admitted through the pipe f' and directed within the hollow hub by the screw projecting from the flange d4.

The wation, as well as the frame or posts B supporting the axles or shafts of the pnlverizinglar'in t'orm to that of a p1opellerwheel,but

IOO

ter keeps the hub d2 cool, and escapes either between the oasin g and rims of the couplingiianges or through a pipe attached to the bottom of said casing.

If desired, the material to be fed to the machine can be introduced ou each side through the hoppers E and E', the gates e and e being mainly to regulate its admission. It can also be introduced from the top through the hopper E2, and t his is desirable when more than two wheels are inclosed. The rims of the wheels are preferably placed some distance apart; and to retain the material within the interior of said wheels there is close to their rims alower semicircular plate or stationary rim, G, secured to the casing, and an upper semicircular plate, G', retained connected to the casing at one end, at g, and rendered adjustable by means of a screw, g', passing through a uut attached to the frame, so that the escape of the fine dust can be regulated, the air admitted through the hollow hub c2 facilitating its escape. Air can also be forced into the interior through the same axial passage, or through an opening, 71 in the side of the casing. The material, if already reduced to small fragments, may be admitted with the air through the same openings, c2 or h. As the outer edges of the wheels are nearly fitted by the annular flan ges a within the casing, the escape of the pulverized material is regulated by the upper semicircular plate, G. The upper half of the iianges a may also be made adjustable, so that an impalpable powder will be obtained. Some ditiiculty has been experienced to collect this fine powder without employingverylarge receiving-chambers. This I accomplish by conducting the escaping current of air and dust or powder through a series of ascending and descending tlues, F, gradually increasing iu size, to have a gradually dying-out current, and to the bottom of said ues I secure open bags Il" under openings controlled by slidesfz.

In the drawings the wheel D is represented as placed in the casin g with the disk-wheel C; but the latter may be dispensed with and the material be thrown and reduced to powder by said wheel D against the casing, and if the material is fed iu from above, the wings or blades Dl may be united to form steps or flat surfaces to strike said material if it should escape on the outside of the wheel. The casing A is left polygonal to afford a good clearance for the pulverizing wheels, the lower space soon becoming partly filled with fragments of rock, against which the strippers d3 will act and clear the track for the wheels.

Having now fully described myinvention, I claim- 1. In a pulverizing-mill, the combination of a stationary casin g with a disk-wheel, C, having a lian ged rim overlapping said disk on both sides, and a propeller-shaped wheel, D, having a rim overlapping the wings D of said Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a pulverizing-mill, the combination of the wheel D, its hollow shaft closed at one end, pulley-shaft d5, coupling-flanges upon the adjoining ends of said shafts, casingf, and pipe f', substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a pulverizing-mill, the combination of wheel C, provided with an overlapping rim, its hollow shaft open at the inner end, pulleyshaft, and coupling-flan ges upon the adjoining ends of said shafts, with washers between them to retain a free passage of air to the hollow shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

et. The combination of the stationary casiu g A, two revolving wheels provided with means for disintegrating, and having a common diameter and similarly-flanged rims, with the stationary semicircular rim G overlapping the inner edge of both wheels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the stationary casing A, and two revolving wheels provided with means for disiutegratin g, and havingacommon diameter and flanged rims, with the stationary semicircular rim G and adjustable semicircular rim G', substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the stationary casing, two revolving wheels provided with means for disintegratiug, and having a common diameter, ilan ged rims thereof having their outer pcripheries smooth adjoining their edges, and strippers d3, located centrally upon said periphery, with semicircnlar stationary rim G and adjustable rim G', substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of a stationary casing, two hollow shafts and wheels having similarlyiianged rims, with ribs upon said wheels arrau ged from the hub to the rim in successive curves, as shown, to direct the material to be pulverized toward said hub, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. H. J AoKsoN, F. W. Fos'rER. 

